Shopper Frenzy Bubbles To A Boil

November 25, 1999|By DAVID ALTANER Business Writer and Information from Bloomberg News was used to supplement this report.

Serious shoppers have already been through the advertising inserts in today's newspaper.

They've made lists and are getting ready for an early-morning assault on the stores on Friday.

The day after Thanksgiving is when the floodgates erupt on the holiday shopping season. Most retailers rely on the period for at least a quarter of annual sales.

The strong U.S. economy, low unemployment and this year's 20 percent rise in the Dow Jones industrial average will benefit retailers. "Because a rising tide raises all boats, it will be a good Christmas," said Carol Farmer, a retail and consumer behavior consultant in Boca Raton.

Last year, many shoppers frantically sought Furby, the talking furball toy. In 1996, Tickle Me Elmo was the top item. This year, there isn't one hot gift, retailers agree.

Anything PokM-imon will be hot, said Plantation Toys 'R' Us store manager Tina Sorenson, referring to the Japanese phenomenon that started as a Nintendo game and grew into a movie, cartoon show and comic book. But there isn't just one PokM-imon toy -- there's a whole line, ranging from PokM-imon Monopoly to playing mats to stuffed toys, which should spread out demand.

Other popular toys include Millennium Barbie, Sega Dreamcast video game console, and Christmas Furby, a Furby with a Santa Claus hat.

The lack of a consensus isn't stopping the toy stores from trying to get a jump on the competition. Most Toys 'R' Us stores are opening at 6 a.m., and Toy Works at Sawgrass Mills shopping center is opening at 5 a.m.

In the electronics category, anything digital is hot, according to Sound Advice Chief Executive Peter Beshouri. That includes digital camcorders, DVD players, and recordable CD players. Beshouri is also expecting a shortage of high-definition-ready big-screen TVs, or televisions that can be easily adapted to fit a high-definition broadcast format that is being phased in over a period of years. Consumers haven't been deterred by price tags that range from $3,000 to $20,000.

"I don't have to tell you, the consumer has been willing to spend money on their homes this year, and a big-screen TV is part of that," Beshouri said.

Despite the excitement, Friday won't be the biggest shopping day of the year.

For the last four years, the biggest shopping day in terms of dollars was the Saturday before Christmas, according to the International Council of Shopping Centers.

But a lot of people are out looking around. About 44 percent of consumers plan to get at least some of their shopping done Friday, according to American Express, and the biggest reason is the bargains. Only about 14 percent said they were out there because they have the day off and nothing better to do.

Consumers expect to buy an average of 24 presents, spending an average of $849 this year on gifts, up 4.3 percent over 1998, according to a Deloitte & Touche survey for the National Retail Federation.

Locally, malls are opening early to entice shoppers. Broward Mall in Plantation will open at 7 a.m. with a drawing for a $1,000 shopping spree, and Pembroke Lakes Mall in Pembroke Pines will open at 7 with a drawing for a $1,500 diamond bracelet.

Town Center in Boca Raton opens at 8 a.m., as does Aventura Mall in Aventura.

Aventura has seen double-digit increases in sales at stores open more than a year, said marketing manager Nadene Wendrow. "I think it's going to be a phenomenal season," she said.

A growing number of consumers will use their fingers rather than their feet to shop this holiday season. This may be the first year in which Internet shopping becomes more than just a novelty.

Online holiday purchases are expected to almost double to $5 billion from a year ago, according to Jupiter Communications, a Web research firm. A survey by America's Research Group, a retail consultant group, found that 10 percent of consumers plan to shop on the Internet.